Protective sports equipment and methods of making same

ABSTRACT

Protective pads for protecting a body part of a person, such as a shin guard for protecting the shin from impacts during sporting activities, and methods of making the same, are disclosed. The protective pad comprises an outer shell and a padding layer connected to the outer shell. The protective pad further comprises at least one padding element located in an interior portion of a lower portion of the protective pad. The at least one padding element is configured to provide a space between the body part and at least one of the outer shell and the padding layer. In this manner, the space provided between the body part and at least one of the outer shell and the padding layer allows the outer shell and the padding layer to absorb and dissipate more of a force resulting from an impact to the protective pad away from the body part.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to protective equipment, and more particularly toprotective athletic equipment having padding to protect persons fromimpact or other forces involved in contact sports or other activitieswith a high risk of impact to parts of the body, as well as methods ofmaking such protective equipment. In particular, the disclosure relatesto protective pads, such as shin guards, that may be used in a varietyof sports such as ice hockey, roller hockey, field hockey, lacrosse,soccer, or other sports or activities in which it may be desirable toprotect the shin or other body part from blows or projectiles.

2. Technical Background

Protective gear, such as shin guards, knee guards, elbow guards, andother protective gear for body joints, is commonly used in sports wherea participant risks injury from moving objects, or accidental collisionswith the ground, obstacles, or other participants. Protective guardsalso are used in a variety of sports, such as motorcycle racing,motocross, go-kart racing, snowmobiling, and other motor sports; skiingand snowboarding; skateboarding; street luge; mountain biking, BMXracing, and other bicycle competitive sports; hockey, baseball, andother sports where some participants (e.g., hockey players and catchers)risk being hit by high-speed projectiles; and rock climbing, whitewaterkayaking, mountain climbing, and other outdoor sports.

When athletes and other participants in these contact sports such assoccer, hockey, rugby, football, baseball, etc. desire protection tiertheir exposed limbs, they utilize some of the available devices such aspadded socks, shin guards, and the like. These devices are meant toprotect the shins and sometimes calf areas of the limb by providing arigid outer shell, and in some cases, a soft material adhered to therigid body wherein the soft side contacts the user's limb. Conventionalprotective pads typically include a relatively hard outer shell of amaterial such as plastic, as well as an inner layer of softer paddingmaterial. The hard outer layer is provided to receive the applied forceor shock of an impact, and to distribute the force over a large area.The soft padding material, in addition to acting as a cushion forproviding comfort to the wearer, usually acts to absorb and dampen theaforementioned forces in order to protect the wearer from the shock ofan impact.

However, despite the padding material, hard shell protective pads do notprevent all injuries or pain from the force of contact. For example, inhockey, the puck may travel at extremely high speeds, up to a hundred(100) miles per hour, and being struck in the shin or other portion ofthe body, often causes pain and injury even when the puck hits the shinguard. A drawback of using a rigid hard shell cover is its limitedability to absorb and displace energy and its lack of flexibility to theuser. Existing body protective equipment may also utilize a relativelysignificant amount of foam padding for absorbing the energy of blowsdelivered to the body. Moreover, the rigid hard shell cover typicallymade of hard plastic, usually overlays the foam padding so as todistribute the force of the blow across a larger area of the foampadding. As is known in the art, distributing the force in this mannerpermits the foam padding to absorb only a portion of the energyassociated with the blow. Depending upon the manner and degree to whichthe padding conforms to the user's body and the energy dissipatingcharacteristics of the conformal padding material, the force from asudden impact, which may be vibrational, may not be distributed over thearea of the padding. For example, if the padding contacts a bone, suchas the shinbone, all of the force of impact may be transmitted to thatbone, or the energy from a sudden impact may not be distributed over thearea of the padding but concentrated in a smaller area, causing pain orinjury.

Thus, the typical shin guard offers some protection for the shin area,although it is now known that the effectiveness of such protection isnot optimal. Typical shin guards are effective in absorbing only apercentage of the impact energy and have less than optimal material toabsorb large quantities of energy, which might explain the increasingnumber of fractures and other injuries, even when the user is wearing ashin guard.

Many people enjoy participating in activities that puts their lower legsat risk of injury, including a fracture. For instance, in ice hockey,players are constantly jockeying for the puck with their hockey sticks,and hockey sticks may and do strike other hockey players' lower legs. Inaddition, ice hockey players may take slap shots up to 100 miles perhour to the lower legs, thus opening up the potential for injury or evena fracture to the lower leg hones. Similar situations occur in fieldhockey, except with a ball instead of a puck. And there are manyoccasions where soccer players risk injuring their lower legs, forinstance when two players try to kick the soccer ball at the same time,a soccer player collides with the goalkeeper, and one player slidetackles another. Likewise, in baseball, a catcher must squat and catchpitches travelling potentially around 100 miles per hour and if theymiss the baseball the potential of the baseball hitting the catcher'slower legs and injuring the lower leg is great. In addition, the umpirewho stands behind the catcher is at risk of injuring their lower legs aswell if the catcher fails to catch a pitch.

In particular, hockey pucks can cause shin, foot and ankle injuries eventhrough modern hard-shelled plastic shin guards, in part because the litof modern hockey shin guards is intentionally tight. The problem isworsened by the use of composite-material hockey sticks, which throw thepuck faster than wooden sticks, at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Theunsportsmanlike “slashing” of another player's feet with a hockey stickcan also cause leg injuries.

With the increasing popularity of soccer and participation in baseballand hockey, and other such sports, especially by youth, preventableinjuries should be minimized as much as possible. Thus, there is a needfor improved protective sports equipment, particularly shin guards.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include protectivepads for protecting a body part of a person, and methods of making thesame. In one embodiment, the protective pad is a shin guard forprotecting the shin from impacts during sporting activities. Theprotective pad comprises an outer shell and a padding layer connected tothe outer shell. The protective pad further comprises at least onepadding element located in an interior portion of a lower portion of theprotective pad. The at least one padding element is configured toprovide a space between the body part of the person and at least one ofthe outer shell and the padding layer.

In this manner, the space provided between the body part and at leastone of the outer shell and the padding layer allows the outer shell andthe padding, layer to absorb and dissipate more of a force resultingfrom an impact to the protective pad away from the body part, such asthe shin. The padding element results in the outer shell of theprotective pad not being in contact with the body part of the personwearing the protective pad. Thus, when the outer shell of the protectivepad receives an impact, such as a hockey puck traveling at a high speed,the force of the impact will not be felt on the body part, or at leastthe force felt at the body part will be greatly reduced. By spacing theouter shell away from the body part, the outer shell and the paddinglayer can absorb and dissipate more of the force of the impact away fromthe body part, resulting in less pain and injury to the wearer of theprotective pad.

A method of assembling a protective pad for protecting a body part of aperson is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing anouter shell and connecting a padding layer to the outer shell. Themethod further comprises positioning at least one padding element in aninterior portion of a lower portion of the protective pad such that theat least one padding element is configured to provide a space betweenthe body part of the person and at least one of the outer shell and thepadding layer.

Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the detaileddescription which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing theembodiments as described herein, including the detailed descriptionwhich follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are merely exemplary, and areintended to provide an overview or framework to understanding the natureand character of the claims. The accompanying drawings are included toprovide a further understanding, and are incorporated in and constitutea part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or moreembodiment(s), and together with the description serve to explainprinciples and operation of the various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a front view of an exterior of a prior art shinguard;

FIG. 1B illustrates a front view of an interior of a protective padaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a padding element located in or at a lower portion ofan interior of a protective pad according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3A is a cross sectional view of a lower portion of a protective padhaving a padding element according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3B is a cross sectional view of a lower portion of a protective padhaving a padding element according to another embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a protective pad having a padding elementpositioned on a leg of a person such that the padding element isconfigured to provide a space between the leg of the person and a shellof the protective pad according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a closer up side view from a lower perspective of theprotective pad of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6A is a front view of a padding element being positioned in apocket located in a lower portion of an interior of a protective padaccording to one embodiment; and

FIG. 6B is a front view of a padding element being positioned in apocket located in a lower portion of an interior of a protective padaccording to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiment(s), an examples of which is/are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numeralswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include protectivepads for protecting a body part of a person, and methods of making thesame. In one embodiment, the protective pad is a shin guard forprotecting the shin from impacts during sporting activities. Theprotective pad comprises an outer shell and a padding layer connected tothe outer shell. The protective pad further comprises at least onepadding element located in an interior portion of a lower portion of theprotective pad. The at least one padding element is configured toprovide a space between the body part of the person and at least one ofthe outer shell and the padding layer.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a typical prior art shin guard is shown. FIG. 1Aillustrates a front view of an exterior of a prior art shin guard.Referring to FIG. 1A, a protective pad 10 is shown here as a combinedshin and knee protective pad, such as of the type worn to playice-hockey. The protective pad comprises an outer shell 12 whichincludes a knee shell 14 and a shin shell 16 connected to one another.The connection between the knee shell 14 and the shin shell 16 may occurin a variety of ways. For example, the connection may be pinned, i.e.with one or two pins, or may be through a hinge, or in any other manner.In one embodiment, the knell shell 14 and the shin shell 14 may be aunitary piece, and such is considered to be connected for purposes ofthis application. The knee shell 14 may be shaped (e.g. cup-shaped) insuch a way to effectively protect a knee. The outer shell 12 issubstantially rigid, and can be made for example of an impact resistantplastic. The shin shell 16 may optionally includes a series ofvertically spaced ribs 18 so as to reinforce the rigidity of the shinshell 16.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the protective pad 10 further includes at leastone attachment means, such as one or more adjustable straps 17A and 17Bto secure the protective pad 10 to the body of the wearer. Theprotective pad 10 may comprise three portions, a top or knee portion 20,a middle portion 24, and a lower, or bottom, portion 26. The top,middle, and lower portions 20, 24, and 26 may be separate pieces, or maybe a unitary piece. The protective pad 10 also comprises a shockabsorbing padding layer (hereinafter “padding layer”) 22. The paddinglayer 22 may be formed of a shock absorbing foam material in oneembodiment. The padding layer 22 may, in one embodiment, be connected toboth the shin shell 16 and the knee shell 14 of the outer shell 12, suchas to provide a pivot connection therebetween. Alternatively, thepadding layer 22 may comprise two portions, i.e. an upper portion,connected to the knee shell 14 and a lower portion connected to the shinshell 16. The padding layer 22 extends between the outer shell 12 andthe body portion of the wearer, and may be connected to the shin shell16 in two or more spaced apart locations. There may be additionalpadding layers or padding layer portions 28 and 30 disposed onrespective sides of the middle portion 24 of the protective pad 10. Theadditional padding layer portions 28 and 30 may be connected to or partof padding layer 22, or they may be physically separate from paddinglayer 22. A further alternative connecting means can also be used toconnect the padding layer 22 and/or the additional padding layerportions 28 and 30 to the shin shell 16, such as, for example, rivets oran adhesive.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the padding layer 22 is connected to the kneeshell 14 along a plurality of spaced apart locations. Although notshown, a free space or cavity is defined between the padding layer 22and the knee shell 14. Padding layer portions 32 and 34 are the rear(interior) portions of the padding layer portions 28 and 30 in FIG. 1A.Padding layer portions 32 and 34 extend between the outer shell 12 andthe body portion of the wearer, and may be connected to the shin shell16 in two spaced apart locations, shown here as seam lines 36. The kneeshell 14 has a concave interior section 38. Padding layer 39 may provideadditional padding around the knee of the wearer and may be configuredin such a way around the concave interior section 38 that a space 37 iscreated between the knee of the wearer and the concave interior section38 of the knee shell 14. Additional padding layers or padding layerportions 40, 41, 42, and 43 may be provided on the respective sides ofthe protective pad 10. On the interior side of the protective pad 10shown in FIG. 1B, the middle portion 24 and the lower portion 26 mayhave a concave interior portion. In particular, the lower portion 26 mayhave concave interior portion 44 and the middle portion 44 may haveconcave interior portion 45.

The outer shell 12 of the knee shell 14 and the shin shell 16 isprovided to receive the applied force or shock of an impact, and todistribute the force over a large area. The soft padding material, inaddition to acting as a cushion for providing comfort to the wearer,usually acts to absorb and dampen the aforementioned forces in order toprotect the wearer from the shock of an impact. However, as mentionedabove, despite the padding material, hard shell protective pads such asouter shell 12 of the knee shell 14 and the shin shell 16 do not preventall injuries or pain from the force of contact due to its limitedability to absorb and displace energy. Likewise, padding such as paddinglayers 22, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 40-43 absorb some of the energy ofimpacts to the body. However, the outer shell 12 of the knee shell 14and the shin shell 16 overlays the padding layers so as to distributethe force of the blow across a larger area of the padding layers. As isknown in the art, distributing the force in this manner permits thepadding layers to absorb only a portion of the energy associated withthe blow. For example, the padding layers 28, 30, 32, and 34 contactsthe shinbone, and all or a significant amount of the force of impact maybe transmitted to that bone, causing pain or injury.

To address this, additional protective padding may be located in or at alower portion of an interior of a protective pad, such as a shin guard,as illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, padding element 46 may bepositioned in the concave interior portion 44 of the lower portion 26 ofthe protective pad 10. In one embodiment, the concave interior portionis configured to receive the at least one padding element.

In one embodiment, the padding element 46 may have a length 47L. Thelength 47L of the padding element 46 may be any length necessary toprovide appropriate protection to the shin portion of the wearer of theprotective pad 10. In one embodiment, the length 47L is at leastapproximately two (2) inches and may be up to approximately three (3) tofive (5) inches, although lengths smaller and greater than this may alsobe used. The padding element 46 may also have a width 47W. The width 47Wof the padding element 46 may also be any width necessary to provideappropriate protection to the shin portion of the wearer of theprotective pad 10. In one embodiment, the width 47W is at leastapproximately two (2) inches and may be up to approximately three (3) tofive (5) inches, although width smaller and greater than this may alsobe used. The length 47L and width 47W of padding element 46 may beselected based on the size and shape of the protective pad 10, or on thesize and shape of lower section 24 or the concave interior portion 44 ofthe lower portion 26 of the protective pad 10. In one embodiment, thesize and shape of the padding element 46 is configured to contour thesize and shape of the protective pad 10, or on the size and shape oflower section 24 or the concave interior portion 44 of the lower portion26 of the protective pad 10.

The exact location of where the padding element 46 is positioned is notcritical and may vary, depending on the size and shape of the protectivepad, or on the personal preference of the wearer of the protective pad10. Although the padding element 46 in FIG. 2 does not extend to thebottom or lower portion 26, it may do so in some embodiments. In anyevent, the location of the padding element 46 should be chosen toprovide a space or gap between the protective pad 10 and the shin of thewearer, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and discussed more fully below.

Further, although only a single padding element 46 is shown in theembodiment of FIG. 2, a plurality of padding elements 46 can be used. Inthis manner, it is possible to dynamically adjust the size and shape(i.e., length and thickness) of the padding element(s) 46 by adding theappropriate numbers and sizes and shapes of padding element(s) 46.

Further, the padding element 46 may be positioned outside the paddinglayers or between the padding layers and the outer shell of theprotective pad, as seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3A is a cross sectionalview of a lower portion of a protective pad having a protective paddingelement according to one embodiment. The protective pad in FIG. 3A couldbe of the type of protective pad shown in FIG. 1A, 1B, or 2. Inparticular, the protective pad may have padding layer 48 attached toouter shell 52, which may be made of hard plastic. The padding layer 48may be of a shock absorbing foam material in one embodiment. In oneembodiment, a backing layer 50 may be disposed between the padding layer48 and the outer shell 52. The backing layer 50 may be an EVA/moldedfoam layer in one embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, thepadding element 46 is positioned outside the padding layer 48.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the padding element 46 is positionedbetween the padding layer 48 and the hacking layer 50.

The padding element 46 has a thickness 49. The thickness 49 may bechosen to provide appropriate protection to the shin portion of thewearer of the protective pad 10. In one embodiment, the thickness 49 isat least approximately one (1) inches and may be up to approximately two(2) to four (4) inches, although thicknesses smaller and greater thanthis may also be used. The thickness 49 may be dependent on the type ofmaterial used to make the padding element 49. In any event, thethickness 49 should be chosen to provide a space or gap between theprotective pad 10 and the shin of the wearer, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a protective pad having a protective paddingelement positioned on a leg of a person such that the protective paddingelement is configured to provide a space between the leg of the personand a shell of the protective pad according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 isa closer up side view from a lower perspective of the protective pad ofFIG. 4. Although FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate one embodiment showing aprotective pad for the leg and shin, in other embodiments, other bodyparts may be protected by the protective pad.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, a protective pad 10 is attached to a leg 54 of aperson. In one embodiment, the protective pad 10 is attached via straps17A and 17B. Referring back to FIG. 2, the protective pad 10 includespadding element 46 located in the concave interior portion 44 of thelower portion 26 of the protective pad 10. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the paddingelement 46 is located in the concave interior portion 44 of the lowerportion 26 of the protective pad 10 such that when the protective pad 10is attached to the leg 54 of the wearer, the outer shell 12 and thepadding layer 30 are separated from a shin portion 56 of the leg 54 by adistance 58. A space 60 will exist between the shin portion 56 of theleg 54 and at least one of the outer shell 12 and the padding layer 30of the protective pad 10. The distance 58 will correspond to thethickness 49 of the padding element 46, depending on the compressibilityof the material of the padding element 46. The padding element 46results in at least the outer shell 12 of the protective pad 10 notbeing in contact with the shin portion 56 of the wearer. Thus, when theouter shell 12 of the protective pad 10 receives an impact, such as ahockey puck traveling at a high speed, the force of the impact will notbe felt on the shin portion 56, or at least the force felt at the shinportion 56 will be greatly reduced. By spacing the outer shell 12 awayfrom the shin portion 56, the outer shell 12 and/or the padding layer 30can absorb and dissipate more of the force of the impact away from theshin portion 56, resulting in less pain and injury to the wearer of theprotective pad 10.

The padding element 46 is located in the concave interior portion 44 ofthe lower portion 26 of the protective pad 10 in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5above. The padding element 46 may be attached to the concave interiorportion 44 of the lower portion 26 of the protective pad 10 in anymanner possible. In one embodiment, the padding element 46 is formed asan integral piece of the lower portion 26 of the protective pad 10,either during the manufacturing process or alter. In this embodiment,“integral” includes, but is not limited to, the padding element and thelower portion 26 of the protective pad 10 being a unitary piece. Inother embodiments, the padding element 46 may be removably attached tolower portion 26 of the protective pad 10, such as by being sewn, glued,taped, or attached via Velcro or other fastening means.

In other embodiments, the padding element 46 may be located in a pocketdisposed in the protective pad 10 or portion thereof; as seen in FIGS.6A and 6B. FIG. 6A is a front view of padding element 46 beingpositioned in a pocket 62 disposed in a padding layer 64, which is partof a protective pad. In one embodiment, the pocket 62 is configured toreceive the padding element 46. In one embodiment, the pocket 62 isconfigured to be of dimensions that correspond to the length 47L, thewidth 47W, and the thickness 49 of the padding element 46.

FIG. 6B is a front view of a padding element 46 being positioned in apocket 62 disposed in the backing layer 50 of the protective pad. In oneembodiment, the pocket 62 is configured to receive the padding element46.

In addition, a padding element 46 integral to the protective pad may becombined with an additional padding element 46 positioned in a pocket 62of the type shown in FIGS. 6A and 613. For example, a padding element 46of a certain thickness may be formed integral to the protective pad. Thepadding layer 64 or the backing layer 50 or the protective pad may alsoinclude a pocket 62 that is configured to receive an additional paddingelement 46. In this manner, a user of a protective pad that does nothave enough padding for that user may add further padding to customizethe protective pad for the particular user.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. The various elements described hereinare not limited to the embodiments discussed in particular Figures. Forexample, the outer shell 12, knee shell 14, and shin shell 16 of theprotective pad 10 may be of any suitable material. By way of example,the shell 106 can be constructed from a variety of thermoplastic polymermaterials, including rigid and semi-ridged material, such aspolyurethanes, polyesters, nylon, thermoplastic olefins, thermoplasticelastomers such as styrenic block co-polymers, polycarbonates,polypropylenes, ethylene polymeric materials and the like. In oneembodiment, the outer shell 12, knee shell 14, and shin shell 16 of theprotective pad 10 may be molded or formed in one piece from a knownplastic material using known molding or forming processes. One possiblematerial for the outer shell 12, knee shell 14, and shin shell 16 of theprotective pad 10 is a relatively hard plastic such as polycarbonate,but other moldable or formable plastic materials known to those skilledin the art can be used; at least some of the plastic materials commonlyused for the shell portions of modern plastic protective equipmentshould also be suitable. Other materials that may be used include, butare not limited to Sorbathane, Impact Modified Polymethylmetracrylate(IM PMMA), High Molecular Weight High Density Polyethylene (HMW HDPE),Neoprene, latex, KEVLAR, 3D braided composites, fiberglass, carbon, andthe like. The hardness of the material in a given shell thickness shouldbe sufficient to withstand the forces to which the protective pad islikely to be subjected. For example, if used as a shin guard in hockey,the protective pad should be able to withstand impacts from hockey pucksand hockey sticks without deforming, or cracking. In one embodiment, thethickness of the outer shell 12, knee shell 14, and shin shell 16 may beon the order of one-eighth of an inch (0.125″), although thinner andthicker shells can be used depending on the desired degree of protectionand the material used.

Likewise, the padding layers discussed herein, as well as the paddingelement 46, may be made from a known protective padding material suchas, but not limited to, closed cell foam or cushioning gel material,closed cell foam of ethylene vinyl acetate, and many of the known typesused in protective sports equipment padding should be suitable providedthey can be cut or formed with a suitable thickness. The padding layersand the padding element 46 can be made of any suitable material orcomposition or materials that provide the degree of cushioning andprotection that is desired. The padding layers and the padding element46 attenuate impact forces to provide cushioning or protection. Byselecting thicknesses, materials, and densities for each of the variouspadding layers and the padding element 46, the degree of impact forceattenuation may be varied to impart a desired degree of cushioning orprotection. Other materials that may be used include molded dual densityfoam, polyurethane, neoprene, and EPE, EPP, or EVA foams. Foamalternatives may also be used and include, but are not limited to SKYDEXpadding, which is commercially provided by Skydex; as set forth in thewebsite www.skydex.com, or SPACENET, which is commercially provided bySpacenet, as listed in the website www.spacenetmaterials.com. Thepadding element 46 should be of suitable thickness to space the outershell and padding layer of the protective pad away from the shin portionof the wearer, such that there is a gap or space above and around theshin of the wearer.

The shapes of the padding layers and the padding element 46 may varysignificantly. The padding layers and the padding element 46 may exhibita common or equal thickness, or they may have different thicknesses. Asa related matter, the padding layers and the padding element 46 may be aplurality of separate elements, or they may be interconnected, may be asingle element, or may have a variety of other conventional ornon-conventional configurations.

Although some of the embodiments disclosed herein were discussed withrespect to a hockey shin guard, the invention is not limited to such.The principles disclosed hereby would also be applicable to anyprotective equipment typically comprised of padding with an outer shell,including but not limited to helmets, shoulder pads, kneepads, elbowpads, and hip pads.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the embodiments set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theembodiments pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the description and claims are not to be limited tothe specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and otherembodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appendedclaims. It is intended that the embodiments cover the modifications andvariations of the embodiments provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents. Although specific terms areemployed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense onlyand not for purposes of limitation.

1. A protective pad for protecting a body part of a person, theprotective pad comprising: an outer shell: at least one padding layerconnected to the outer shell; and at least one padding element locatedin an interior portion of a lower portion of the protective pad, the atleast one padding element configured to provide a space between the bodypart of the person and at least one of the outer shell and the at leastone padding layer.
 2. The protective pad of claim 1, wherein the bodypart is a shin portion of a leg and the at least one padding element isconfigured to provide a space between the shin portion and the at leastone of the outer shell and the at least one padding layer.
 3. Theprotective pad of claim 1, wherein by providing the space between thebody part and the at least one of the outer shell and the at least onepadding layer, the at least one padding element is configured to allowthe outer shell and the at least one padding layer to absorb anddissipate a force of an impact to the protective pad away from the bodypart.
 4. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the interior portion isconcave and configured to receive the at least one padding element. 5.The protective pad of claim 1, wherein the at least one padding elementhas a width of between approximately two (2) inches and approximatelyfive (5) inches, a length of between approximately two (2) inches andapproximately five (5) inches, and a thickness of between approximatelyone (1) inch and approximately four (4) inches.
 6. The protective pad ofclaim 5, wherein at least one of the width, length, or thickness ischosen to contour to one or more of: the size and shape of theprotective pad; the size and shape of the lower section; and theinterior portion of the lower portion of the protective pad.
 7. Theprotective pad of claim 1 wherein the at least one padding elementcomprises a plurality of padding elements.
 8. The protective pad ofclaim 1, wherein a backing layer is disposed between the outer shell andthe at least one padding layer.
 9. The protective pad of claim 1 whereinthe at least one padding element is positioned outside and proximate theat least one padding layer.
 10. The protective pad of claim 8 whereinthe at least one padding element is positioned between the least onepadding layer and the backing layer.
 11. The protective pad of claim 1wherein the at least one padding element is integral to the lowerportion of the protective pad.
 12. The protective pad of claim 1 whereinthe at least one padding element is removably attached to the lowerportion of the protective pad.
 13. The protective pad of claim 1,further comprising a pocket disposed in the backing layer, the pocketconfigured to receive the at least one padding element.
 14. Theprotective pad of claim 8, wherein a first padding element is integralto the lower portion of the protective pad, and wherein the protectivepad further comprises a pocket disposed in the backing layer or in theat least one padding layer, the pocket configured to receive a secondpadding element.
 15. A method of assembling a protective pad forprotecting a body part of a person, the method comprising: providing anouter shell; connecting a padding layer to the outer shell; andpositioning at least one padding element in an interior portion of alower portion of the protective pad such that the at least one paddingelement is configured to provide a space between the body part of theperson and at least one of the outer shell and the padding layer. 16.The method of claim 15, further comprising: choosing at least one of awidth, length, and thickness of the at least one padding element tocontour to one or more of: the size and shape of the protective pad; thesize and shape of the lower section; and the interior portion of thelower portion of the protective pad.
 17. The method of claim 15 whereinpositioning at least one padding element further comprises positioning aplurality of padding elements.
 18. The method of claim 15, whereinpositioning at least one padding element further comprises forming theat least one padding element as an integral piece of the lower portionof the protective pad.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprisingdisposing a pocket in the at least one padding layer, the pocketconfigured to receive the at least one padding element.
 20. A protectivepad for protecting a body part of a person, comprising: an outer shellhaving a concave interior section; and at least one padding layerconnected to the outer shell, wherein the at least one padding layer isconfigured to provide padding around the concave interior section suchthat a space is created between the body part and the concave interiorsection.